Vin+ 3,121 Posted July 17, 2012 (edited) Going with the Aronofsky double shot. Black Swan #2, Requiem for a Dream #1. The Social Network better not be #1... Edited July 17, 2012 by Vin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted July 17, 2012 2. Gangs of New York 1. Road to Perdition Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014 Posted July 17, 2012 The Social Network is one of the two. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted July 18, 2012 The Social network is one of them and Up in the Air is another. I just don't know which one is #1. I'll go with The Social Network. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted July 18, 2012 #2 The Social Network #1 Up In The Air Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BradyFan81 404 Posted July 18, 2012 (edited) My picks are Training Day and a Beautiful Mind. The Social Network sucked, don't know what you guys are talking about. Edited July 18, 2012 by BradyFan81 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted July 18, 2012 The Social Network is nowhere near a top 50 movie... if it's here I am gonna drop a gator into your bed while you sleep. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted July 18, 2012 #2 "Goes a long way to renewing our faith that movies can tackle grown-up comedy resonant with real-life dilemmas and tragedy, often beyond our ability to grasp or control." –Kathleen Murphy, MSN Movies Starting in September 2008, an economic recession began reverberating around the world. For the United States, it was and continues to be the country's worst economic struggle since the Great Depression, and as such has come to be known as the Great Recession. Just over a year later, co-writer/director Jason Reitman unveiled Up in the Air (2009), based on Walter Kirn's novel of the same name, an intimate human comedy that tackles the economic struggle with maturity and emotion, destined to become the quintessential film of the Great Recession. Set in and released in the teeth of the Great Recession, Up in the Air presents Hollywood's first look at a suffering America. Centering on perhaps the one industry that is booming in the middle of an economic downturn--one that fires employees on a grand scale--the film offers the most devastating portrait of corporate America in quite some time. One particularly moving sequence shows Ryan and Natalie entering a company that has been downsized so severely its workspace is largely devoid of desks and chairs; some phones literally sit on the carpet. The most emotional scenes in the film are, of course, those where Ryan (or Natalie) does the firing. For these scenes, Reitman recruited actual workers who had been laid off in the wake of the recession and filmed them in interview style, adding power and authenticity to sequences that hit the audience hard. Reitman successfully taps into the emotional distress of losing one's job. Some professional actors do appear in extended scenes, including Zach Galifianakis and J.K. Simmons, who deliver fantastic cameos. What is especially astonishing about this film is the way Reitman is able to capture the recession in America while it was still ongoing, through the comedy genre, no less. The film is a comedy that appropriately features the genre blending you would expect from an Alexander Payne movie. It is a mature comedy, required from its subject material, but Reitman is smart in his comedic approach, able to generate humor through dialogue, cinematography, and editing. For this film, Reitman's third as director, he eases on his typical satire to capture the spirit of mid-recession America. The film has the feel of a period piece made decades after its studied time period, but was filmed just months into America's recession. Economics aside, Up in the Air is also a delicate exploration of isolation and personal relationships. Ryan's character is not just literally up in the air due to constant travel; he is floating above the world itself, totally disconnected. The further he is from the ground, the more comfortable he is. Natalie, meanwhile, appears more committed to finding a life partner than a prosperous career; we learn she passed on a better job offer in San Francisco to follow her boyfriend to Omaha. The difference in philosophy between Ryan and Natalie makes their interactions engaging, creating a conflict capable of driving the film. Alex is something of a happy medium between the two, and a scene where all three discuss life expectations features the best dialogue in the movie. All three go through wonderful character arcs throughout the film. Reitman deserves much of the credit for Up in the Air, but he gets help from his perfectly casted lead actors, all three of which received an Oscar nomination. Clooney is, of course, the star of the group, and he fits into his character with the comfort of a first-class seat. His funniest moments are triggered by small shifts in facial expressions or posture, not relying on the humor of the script—though there is plenty of it. This may not be the best performance of Clooney's career, but it is certainly one of the mot understated. Up in the Air presents a unique yet heartbreaking look at an economic recession, charms with its witty characters, intrigues with its story, and then finally glides to a perfect landing. This is not to say the film has a happy ending, because it doesn't, appropriate for the 21st century, an era where things tend not to wrap up evenly. At the time of this thesis's publication, the United States is still suffering from a recession with no encouraging signs of recovery. Though there is no guarantee, the economy figures to bounce back someday. Once the Great Recession ends and becomes just another historical period, Up in the Air will be known as the film that defined it. #1 "A creation story for the digital age and something of a morality tale, one driven by desire, marked by triumph, tainted by betrayal." –Manohla Dargis, New York Times "Absolutely emblematic of its time and place." –David Denby, New Yorker The 21st century is an era defined by technology, and its social climate has come to be defined by social networking. The Internet includes several social networking web sites, but none as popular or as widely used as Facebook, which has over 900 million active users. Less than a decade after it was founded, Hollywood brought its creation story to life with The Social Network (2010). Featuring creatively exceptional all-around filmmaking and telling a story of infinite relevance, this is the movie of the century. From The Social Network's opening scene, we know we’re watching something special. The dialogue actually begins before the Columbia Pictures logo has faded from the screen, setting the tone for the film to come, one defined by brisk, relentless dialogue. Such dialogue is a trademark of screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, and he is at his best with this script. Mark and Erica bounce ideas and arguments between one another so quickly the audience barely has time to catch their breath. Mark talks so fast Erica is often left behind in conversation, and he eventually he strikes the wrong note, prompting Erica to break up with him. The greatest strength of this film is Sorkin's screenplay, which was adapted from Ben Mezrich’s book The Accidental Billionaires, the fact-based story of Facebook's creation. Though it is an adapted screenplay, Sorkin deserves much credit for its narrative structure, his own creation. Not only does Sorkin keep up his rapid-pace dialogue throughout the film, but also just as quickly, he cuts between a deposition hearing and a flashback, sometimes between the two deposition hearings, sometimes between all three. The cuts are so frenzied they sometimes occur mid-sentence, with characters from different scenes finishing each other's sentences. The true brilliance of Sorkin's script, though, lies in its violation of the cardinal rules taught in screenwriting class: numerous scenes involve 'talking heads' where characters remain still while speaking. Sorkin counters this with the aforementioned pace and narrative structure, capturing the reality of the present and making art out of Facebook's creation story. Sorkin's screenplay is in capable hands with director David Fincher, who takes a great script and makes the most of it. His trademark dim lighting works beautifully to create dark overtones that match the layered anguish in the script perfectly. And while Fincher provides plenty of quality camerawork, his greatest strength as a cinematographer is the way he lets Sorkin's script carry the film. For all his creative angles and moving cameras, Fincher includes plenty of pedestrian still shots for the sequences where the fast dialogue and quick scene cuts do the work. In this way, the film coasts at just the right velocity without being overly exhilarating. As a director, Fincher has never been better, and he directed Fight Club (1999). The Social Network features an Oscar-winning musical score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross that gives the film a pulse appropriate for its electric pace. Fitting for a film concerned with technological advancement, the music is mostly electronic, featuring extensive use of synthesizers. The score is at its best in the film's opening scenes when Mark drunkenly blogs at his computer. The music gives these scenes a life of their own, making The Social Network the first film to make typing at a computer look interesting, for which I believe Reznor and Ross deserve much of the credit. The electricity of their score is a great complement to Fincher's direction. Far from one-dimensional, Reznor and Ross are capable of writing music that is not synthesizer-based, sometimes able to find emotion in just a few solemn piano notes. This is the rare sort of musical score that does more than augment the events and emotions of a film—it defines it. The Social Network is a great film for many reasons, not least of which because it tells a great story, one that can be interpreted on multiple levels and enjoyed different ways. It is the dramatized but fact-based creation story of Facebook, a company with worth in the billions of dollars. It is an intricate character study of a socially awkward genius who somehow creates a web site that puts college's social experience online. It is a legal battle between multiple parties with millions of dollars at stake. It is the heartbreaking story of two great friends and the brilliant idea that drove them apart. A halfway decent film about Facebook would be somewhat memorable, but Sorkin's brilliant script and Fincher's haunting direction make it one of the century's best. Even more impressive, the filmmakers construct the movie's details to capture the very spirit of the digital age. This 21st century film will be admired as long as film is reviewed and relevant as long as Facebook is used. In either case, The Social Network isn't going anywhere. 50) George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck 49) Greg Mottola's Superbad 48) Terry George's Hotel Rwanda 47) David O. Russell's The Fighter 46) Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon 45) Edward Zwick's Blood Diamond 44) Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins 43) Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder 42) James Mangold's Walk the Line 41) Christopher Nolan's The Prestige 40) Peter Jackson's King Kong 39) Nicholas Stoller's Forgetting Sarah Marshall 38) Judd Apatow's Knocked Up 37) Peter Berg's Friday Night Lights 36) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 35) Jonathan Levine's 50/50 34) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 33) David Fincher's Zodiac 32) M. Night Shyamalan's Signs 31) Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive 30) James McTeigue's V for Vendetta 29) Ridley Scott's American Gangster 28) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 27) James Cameron's Avatar 26) Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds 25) Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker 24) Ridley Scott's Gladiator 23) Paul Haggis's Crash 22) Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton 21) Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone 20) Gus Van Sant's Milk 19) Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight 18) Alexander Payne's Sideways 17) Bennett Miller's Moneyball 16) Alexander Payne's The Descendants 15) Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can 14) Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood 13) David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 12) Martin Scorsese's The Departed 11) Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby 10) Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation 9) Clint Eastwood's Mystic River 8) Christopher Nolan's Inception 7) Steven Spielberg's Minority Report 6) Michael Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 5) Pete Docter's Up 4) Christopher Nolan's Memento 3) Joel & Ethan Coen's No Country for Old Men 2) Jason Rietman's Up in the Air 1) David Fincher's The Social Network 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BradyFan81 404 Posted July 18, 2012 (edited) Wow how'd all of you guys know those were the 2? Obviously had inside info. Up in the Air is phenomenal, Social Network was so meh to me though. Really disliked that film. Thanks for posting this though Stevo, really enjoyable and interesting to follow and comment on over the past few weeks. Edited July 18, 2012 by BradyFan81 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted July 18, 2012 You were doing so well too. The Social Network was not the best movie of this century. I could understand it being on the list, switch it with Batman Begins and this is pretty great but... yeah. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted July 18, 2012 Ya... Saddened that Training Day and Toy Story 3 (amongst others) didn't even crack the Top 50 while the likes of King Kong and some mediocre comedies did. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Phailadelphia Posted July 18, 2012 Up in the Air at #2? ME GUSTA MUCHO Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blotsfan 2,112 Posted July 18, 2012 Ya... Saddened that Training Day and Toy Story 3 (amongst others) didn't even crack the Top 50 while the likes of King Kong and some mediocre comedies did. Not to mention incredibles, finding nemo, gay porn. All better than king kong. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted July 18, 2012 Not to mention incredibles, finding nemo, gay porn. All better than king kong. Haha. Ya. Finding Nemo definitely. Pixar being underrated seemed to be a common theme through out this Top 50. I really think O Brother Where Art Thou deserved a spot as well (not Top 10.. Probably in the 20s somewhere). And NONE of the Bourne movies made it... Road To Perdition, stated earlier is also one I would have to have on here. I could make an argument for a few of the lesser known films that were absolutely fantastic but wasn't exactly expecting on here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KiLaSix9+ 398 Posted July 18, 2012 While this list sucks, IMO of course, thanks Stevo for taking the time to post this and share your opinions. You've been getting heat about this list all topic long so props to you for taking it like a man. This was definitely one of the livelier topics we've had in the summer. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GA_Eagle 595 Posted July 18, 2012 (edited) King Kong is my least favorite choice. ok but not great. Some of the comedies were just ok too, imo. Then again, I've never been a huge fan of typical comedies. I like Dramadies (stupid word, I know)... and dark dark comedies more and they tend to be ranked higher on this list then the typical comedies. Do agree with Superbad being on the list, though. Edit, I would also like to add, I think its a travesty that Avatar not only made the list but is in the top 30 ahead of all three LotR movies. Edited July 18, 2012 by GA_Eagle Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted July 18, 2012 While this list sucks, IMO of course, thanks Stevo for taking the time to post this and share your opinions. You've been getting heat about this list all topic long so props to you for taking it like a man. This was definitely one of the livelier topics we've had in the summer. Thanks broski. That was the ultimate goal--as it is every offseason in TGP--and now that it's over, training camp is right around the corner. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blotsfan 2,112 Posted July 18, 2012 That is true. Definitely was a better tgp offseason thing than just hating each other. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Milla4Prez63 678 Posted July 18, 2012 I disagree with most of the list, but I won't knock it because I couldn't take the time to do a list like this. I'm not sure I can even remember 50 films I've seen since 2000. I know I've seen 50+, but can't remember them all and which ones I liked lol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted July 18, 2012 While this list sucks, IMO of course, thanks Stevo for taking the time to post this and share your opinions. You've been getting heat about this list all topic long so props to you for taking it like a man. This was definitely one of the livelier topics we've had in the summer. ' Absolutely 18+ pages and going. Pretty darn successful I would say. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted July 18, 2012 Did Casino Royale not make the list for being British? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted July 18, 2012 Did Casino Royale not make the list for being British? No, it simply didn't make the list. If I had to expand, it would probably be in the 51-60 range, though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted July 18, 2012 No, it simply didn't make the list. If I had to expand, it would probably be in the 51-60 range, though. interesting. Is that just from flaws it has or everything else just being better? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
